Double or Nothing
by xxdeath.by.chocolatexx
Summary: George is broken after Fred's death, until he encounters one Angelina Johnson. As he saves her, he begins the process of saving himself... Title changed: Previously "Halves of a Heart"
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This story was inspired by "Kiss From A Rose" by Chrys-Moony-Marauder, so thank you for the inspiration. Also, obviously, I claim no characters or canon as my own. Trying out a new pairing in this fic, so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I won't get off topic like I usually do.**

* * *

He blinked back the tears that threatened to drip out of his eyes. He came here too often, he needed to get away, but the gravestone filled him with guilt and grief, forcing him to keep returning.

He wanted to get on with his life, but he remained with his nose pressed into the grass and the flowers falling out of his hand.

He wanted to be proud of his brother who died saving them all. But he couldn't feel anything but anger that he was incomplete, that there was a half, and maybe more, missing from him.

A large piece of him that died, but not heroically. He was not a hero, he was simply the survivor, and that would never be good enough.

* * *

George heard his mother calling him for breakfast, but he didn't hear what she said. Instead he heard the break in her voice that came from addressing only half of what used to exist.

Even though he was upstairs and she was in the kitchen, he heard, or perhaps imagined, the name that followed his own, barely a whisper. He remained with his head buried under numerous pillows, and hoped he was suffocating, but it felt more like he was drowning.

A large, damp patch on his pillow was evidence enough that he had been having the dreams, but he couldn't remember them. He never could.

It was an unfortunate nightly occurrence that left him awake and gasping for breath, but for the life of him trying to remember the freckled face that he knew was in his dream.

Nobody quite knew what it was like, although his family liked to pretend they knew what he was going through.

He knew he should be nicer, and appreciative of his parents and siblings that were still alive, appreciative that they were taking time out of their own grievance to comfort him, for they had noticed, if nothing else, that his loss was more infinite than all of theirs combined.

* * *

The first day he saw her was at the shop, when she stumbled in with a windswept look on her face, the buttons on her dress mismatched, showing the slightest hint of what could be.

He would have continued his gaze over her body had he not noticed the panic in her eyes, a shadow he had never seen on her face before. He knew immediately that something was wrong, that something had happened.

His worries were confirmed when she flew into his arms, taking no notice of the numerous boxes in his arms, or of the shocked and pleased look on his face.

Was she confused as to whom he was? Did his face remind her all too much of the one who was supposed to be her comfort?

These thoughts were nullified when she wrapped her arms around him and began to whimper. He reveled for a few moments in the glory of her body pressed against his, but then stepped back, remembering his concern.

"What's wrong, Angelina?" He would have been more worried had he not been wondering where she had been for the last three years. Since they had left Hogwarts she had not appeared.

More specifically, she had not been seen since Fred's death. A small part of him, the one that didn't feel particularly guilty, was wondering if he had a chance now, now that he was gone and she was open.

"It was…my fault…I walked into Knockturn Alley by accident and Montague saw me. He tried to…to…" At this point she started crying completely, and George could guess what had happened.

He wrapped himself around her once again until her tears dissolved into dry sobs, and finally she looked up and seemed to realize that she was hugging the twin brother of her dead boyfriend. She gasped and pulled away.

"I shouldn't have come here. I'm sorry, I should really be going now." He knew it had been too much to hope she had come to the shop on purpose, but his heart still sank upon her words. He released her and she vanished as quickly as she had appeared.

The whole encounter had been a little too surprising for George, and he needed time to think about what had happened. He closed up the shop for the day, and Apparated back to the flat.

Once at home, he began to think about the meeting. Angelina had looked…different. She was still the same on the outside, beautiful and courageous, but something about her seemed weaker, less stable.

The Angelina he had known in his school days wouldn't have been bothered by an encounter with Montague. She would have more likely punched him in the face and walked away confidently.

The five minutes she had spent in the shop had been enough to let him know that something was not right within her. Something had not healed.

* * *

George promptly forgot about his thoughts on Angelina the next morning. The only thing on his mind was the face that had again appeared in his dream.

It had been clearer this time, and although George knew he could see his twin's face any time he wanted just by looking in the mirror, something about the dreams made it seem more real, and more present.

And every night it was the same. The moment he reached out to touch the face that resembled his own, with the obvious difference of having two ears rather than one, the face vanished, and he was left with his eyes open and his arm outstretched, reaching for nothingness.

He had taken to sleeping in his own flat above the shop, rather than attempting to keep up the façade of normality he showed to his family.

Dinner was torture every night, when the mother Weasley insisted on everyone eating together, and laughing and chatting as if there was not a ghost amongst them.

He paid his daily visit to the grave of his other half after breakfast, preferring the chill of the morning air to the sultry heat of the afternoon.

The briskness in the wind helped to clear his head of all thoughts, and he managed to sit on the grass next to the gravestone and stare off into space, without breaking into tears.

* * *

The next time George thought about Angelina was three days later, when he met Katie Bell. Katie had stopped by the shop to pick up a present for her brother, and immediately started chatting with George.

George, who was not in the chatting mood, nodded politely at her until he heard Angelina's name, for which his ears—or ear—seemed to be listening.

"What about Johnson?" He asked sharply, taking Bell by surprise.

"Nothing, I just said she's back in town after her vacation—if you can call three years a vacation—in France. Why so interested?" She looked more curious about this than about anything George had said in the conversation so far, even when he had talked about his crazy family.

"Oh yeah, I saw her the other day. She ran in here after being harassed by Montague, but then she left as soon as…I dunno, I guess when she realized…who I was." Or who he wasn't, he silently thought to himself.

"She's going through a rough patch right now. Has been for the last few years, I don't know what's gone wrong. She seems to be restless, but at the same time looking for routine, or comfort. Can't really blame her, I suppose. I mean, after what she went through—" Katie stopped abruptly, eyes wide when she realized what she had said, and to whom she had said it. She looked at George apologetically.

Desperate to take the conversation elsewhere, George started talking about the shop, and the success of business. Katie gratefully pounced on the change in subject, and after a few minutes, said she had to leave, apologizing profusely.

After she had left, George sat behind the counter, thankful for the lack of customers that day. He thought about Angelina, and how right she had felt, pressed up against him in a hug. He thought about why they had never happened, but then realized he had just been too late.

He could think of some other things he had been too late for.

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**A/N The first chapter of a new fic always makes me happy. This was pretty long too, as far as my chapters go. Anyways, please please please review, you better if you want to see another chapter. Check my profile page as well for developments in other stories, that's where I'll inform you of progress. Thanks in advance for reviewing, and if you don't, then you don't deserve the next chapter. sob I work so hard for you guys!**

**xx.death.by.chocolatexx**


	2. Chapter 2

George knew what he needed to do. He needed to find out if it could have ever happened. He needed to visit Angelina.

After receiving her address from Katie, he Apparated to her flat. He knocked three times on the door, and stepped back.

After waiting for about three minutes, he came to the conclusion that she wasn't home, and turned to go, but then, by some unknown force, turned back and decidedly walked up to the door.

He pulled out his wand and was prepared to break in, but to his surprise the door was unlocked, and swung open to his push.

The flat was completely dark, but he could hear the shower running. Not wanting to disturb Angelina in the shower, he waited outside politely.

After about ten minutes, the shower was still running, and George was feeling a little worried. Why was the flat dark, and why had the shower been running for so long?

He touched the bathroom door, and once again, it swung open without resistance.

The sight that met his eyes made him want to scream, or be sick. With her eyes closed, Angelina was lying on the tiled floor of the shower with all her clothes still on.

The shower was running cold water, and she lay there shivering, and George's attention was captured by the blood running down the drain.

He rushed over to her, and without thinking, took her into his arms and Apparated to St. Mungo's.

Immediately running to what he knew was the ward where Ginny worked as a Healer, and put her down on an empty bed.

Ginny entered the room immediately, and looked at Angelina. Quickly, she pulled out her wand and healed the deep cut on Angelina's wrist.

"How did this happen?" George shook his head. He suspected it had something to do with Fred's death, but couldn't be sure.

She needed to wake up, and they needed to talk.

* * *

Angelina awoke three hours later, after a Blood-Replenishing Potion and a lot of rest. As soon as it had been clear that she would survive, George had written her a note, and Disapparated from the hospital.

The note was on her bedside, and when she saw it addressed to her, she immediately opened it and began to read.

_Dear Angelina,_

_I'm sorry I didn't stay at the hospital with you until you woke up, but I had some urgent business to attend to. I also thought it might be a delicate situation, judging from your reaction last time we met. I know you are going through a rough patch right now, but that's no excuse to do anything like that to yourself. Consider yourself lucky that I got to your flat in time. By what I said before, I didn't mean I don't want to meet you. I do, just not right after you wake up. Please let me know a good time for you to meet, we have a lot of things to discuss._

_Sincerely _(she could see that the word "love" had been written and erased)_, _

_George_

Why was George at her flat?, she couldn't help but wonder. Then, she remembered what she had tried to do.

She hadn't loved him. Common misperception. More like, survivor's guilt, maybe. Or maybe it was more like lover's guilt. That she hadn't been there when he died, and the last thing he had ever heard from her was that she wanted to end the relationship.

And now, now that he was gone, they were infinitely defined as "together", as lovers. _A dead lover provides the hardest competition._

Maybe it wasn't the dead lover providing the competition. Perhaps it was only the guilt.

* * *

George was waiting.

He didn't know what he was waiting for, and really, it didn't matter. Any excuse to get away from his once-haven: the shop.

The heavy presence that weighted his shoulders every time he stepped into the shop was unbearable. He couldn't remember the last time he had smiled, and it didn't help that he didn't have enough employees on hand to leave the shop very often.

There is a time when people stop being people, and they are simply animated objects that walk around and do what they are supposed to be doing. There was a time when George went out of his way to do what he _wasn't_ supposed to be doing, but that time had passed.

The time for joking was over, now that the other part of himself was gone. It made it seem all the more idiotic, pulling pranks with no one to laugh about it with afterwards.

He truly missed the days of setting off fireworks in the hallways, aggravating his teachers until detention was no longer a worthy punishment.

Looking up, he saw Angelina approaching. Yes, what he had been waiting for.

**A/N** Ha ha! Incentive for you to review – a cliff-hanger. A shorter chapter, I know. Apologies. Also apologize for it taking so f-ing long. I've had this one in the making for so long, but stupid finals made me take forever to wrap it up, and OH MY GOD IT'S SUMMER! For me, anyways. Gasp! I'm a junior! Two more years of high school! Shit, the worst year of my life awaits me.

I also wanted to apologize for me reverting back to my clichéd and "appearing in every one of my stories" tactic. I couldn't help it…I needed to convey the depth of Angelina's depression. But don't despair! I have, on the storyboard, something special planned for you all. It is…a _happy_ ending to this story. Something we've never seen before from me!

Okay, done with this superbly long author's note. If only the chapter itself was this long.

xxdeath.by.chocolatexx


	3. Chapter 3

George knew he was falling for Angelina. Guilt or no guilt, it was happening day by day. Recognizing the signs, he withdrew from the shop, not wanting to damage himself or Angelina any further by taking such a risk as falling in love. Yet without meaning to, he found himself thinking about her every day, every moment. He would try to let sleep take him, but instead would find himself clutching his pillow and wishing it was her.

It was hard to say how the coffee date had gone. On one hand, it had been awkward, but on the other, she had been absolutely captivating.

* * *

_"So George...I know you're worried about me, but I'm fine, really. It was just...a stupid thing to do, and I'm sorry you had to see me like that." Looking at her closely, at her warm tone and her smooth lips taking a sip of coffee, he could see that it was true. She really was alright, or at least better than she had been._

_"Ang, I wanted to apologize too. I've been in a shell the last few years, and I'm sorry I didn't contact you. I guess I wasn't the only one having a hard time, and I see that now." Angelina was surprised. George wasn't quite the funny, upbeat individual he had once been--he still had a glimmer of light in his eyes, but it was as if someone had taken the old George and skewed his personality slightly._

_"George, don't worry about it, really. You had...a better excuse than me at least." By this point, George had almost stopped paying attention to the words coming from Angelina's mouth, and was more concentrating on...her mouth. Her lips were so smooth, so soft, yet so firm...he couldn't look away. He forced himself to look up, and found himself staring at her hair._

_"George? _George??!_" He glanced up. This was _not_ going as planned. Falling for Angelina was definitely not on his agenda. She was Fred's property, as if he could reach out from heaven and claim her. And yet...a guy could dream, couldn't he?_

_

* * *

_

He would dream of the moment when she would look at him with her dark, despairing eyes and they would, without a thought, lean into each other, and he would know what only his brother had known--the feel of her lips. George had closed himself off from the world after Fred's death, deciding that God had put both of them on earth at the same time for a reason, and the world could either have both of them, or none at all. Double or nothing, that was George's philosophy.

But suddenly, it was seeming as though Fred didn't have to be George's double--that perhaps there were others who may match. Guiltily, he stopped visiting Fred's grave, afraid to see his brother's face in his mind when Fred realized that George was thinking of taking up with his old flame. Cringing at the thought, George retreated into the folds of his blanket.

* * *

Back at home, Angelina was undergoing a different struggle. Katie had stopped by a few days earlier to inform her of two things.

"What would you say if I told you I was thinking of going it with George? As in, on a date?" Katie looked pleadingly at Angelina, as if willing her into her next words:

"That's...a wonderful idea!" she replied with false enthusiasm.

"Great! By the way, George has been asking about you. Where have you been the last few days?" Angelina almost didn't hear the question. She was focusing on the ther previous sentence. George had been asking about her? Then she admonished herself for thinking that way. Of course he had asked about her--the last time she had seen him, she had been recovering from an attempted suicide. He had a very good reason to be concerned about her, and she had absolutely no good reason to be thinking about him.

She cursed herself silently for being so easily led astray by her emotions. That's why she had gotten into this situation in the first place. She had been depressed, thinking about Fred, about how she had loved him, but not in the right way. She had gotten carried away, and it had seemed for a while that the world would be a better place if she weren't in it.

Looking back on it, it had been the stupidest of ideas, but at the time, she hadn't quite been in her right mind. Angelina sighed and came back to the present, glancing at the clock. This was usually the time of day that she visited the shop, hoping to see George there and thank him. She wasn't going today. George hadn't been at the shop all week, surely he wasn't coming today. Angelina had no choice but to think he was avoiding her. She couldn't blame him--if she could, she would avoid herself, mopey and depressing as she was.

She could remember a time when she had been different.

* * *

_"9, 9, and 10 from the judges for Fred's fantastic dive! What a dive, ladies and gentlemen, and what a show he puts on!" Lee Jordan shouted into the makeshift megafone that had been transfigured from a cup._

_"Oy, Jordan! I only gave him a 3! How come that turned into a 9?" Angelina stated indignantly._

_"Oooh, low marks Angelina! I thought we had something!" Fred teased. Angelina blushed, thankful for her dark skin. George, Lee, and Katie laughed. If they had known just what that something had been a few nights ago, they wouldn't be laughing, thought Angelina. She felt her face heat up as she remembered Fred pulling her into a broom cupboard at 3 in the morning, when she had been roaming the halls, unable to sleep._

_"Hey Ang! What are you doing out this late? Or so early?" he whispered._

_"What are you doing in a broom cupboard?" she replied, about to turn the handle and leave._

_"Wait!" He pulled her hand back, and they stumbled and fell, him sitting on a box, and her falling into his lap. Suddenly, he leaned his face towards hers, and she felt his warm lips close over her own. When they broke apart, he smiled at her, looking slightly nervous, slightly embarassed, and very happy. She tentatively smiled back at him._

_"It's late, you should be getting back to bed," he said._

_"Really? I was just about to wake up," she replied. He laughed, took her hand, and guided her back to Gryffindor tower._

_Another splash brought Angelina back to the edge of the Great Lake. Suddenly, Fred's arm slid around her waist, and yanked her into the water. She shrieked as the cold water hit her bare skin, and grabbed at Fred's hand as he pulled her under. When she finally grasped it, she realized by the birthmark on the wrist that it was actually George's hand._

_

* * *

_**A/N:** Wow, I never expected this story to take so long, considering how many ideas I have of where to go with it. Still, it's taking me a while to write. Anyways, here is the next installment. Hope you like it, and please review!


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